


The Second Valentine's Day

by terryreviews



Series: Hatter and Hare [6]
Category: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 03:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18932341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terryreviews/pseuds/terryreviews
Summary: Technically, this was the second Valentine's Day in which all Wonderlandians were allowed to participate. Naturally, Hatter and Hare do,





	The Second Valentine's Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the specific show “Adventures in Wonderland” which aired on the Disney channel back in the 1990s. For reference, I’ve included a picture of the specific Hatter and Hare that this fic is about. In this particular story, it is based on the episode “Change of Heart” in which the Queen of Hearts learns to share Valentine’s Day with everyone.

Technically, this was the second Valentine’s Day all Wonderlandians could give and receive valentines, rather than just the queen. However, it was the first that Hatter and Hare were actually exchanging. The previous year’s ruling came sudden and already so late in the day, no one exchanged anything (aside from Alice who had been nice enough to make everyone a card and thus break the rule of “Only the Queen gets Valentine’s). Also, this was the first Valentine’s Day that Hatter and Hare were sharing as a romantic couple. First time exchanging _and_ they were a couple now? How lucky could one Hatter get. At least, that’s what Hatter thought to himself as he nudged his gift further under the tea table, waiting for Hare.

 

He squirmed in his seat and tapped his foot, resisting the urge to look at the clock (also under the table. He really needed to declutter it sometime).  For the rest of his friends, he had gone out this morning to deliver specially blended tea he made himself and baked each of them a unique cookie or pastry depending on their preference. Even the Cat got something.

 

For Hare, he required something special. He was his best friend and brand new lover after all.

 

First, he had to find the perfect gift. Now he _could_ have just flipped through the Regal Catalog and made a phone call, but there was something about the physical act of wandering through the mall, going to little mom and pop stores, or sitting in his attic or kitchen making something, that added weight to the gift. Well, gifts. Hopefully, Hare would like them.

 

Secondly, after the gifts were bought or made, he needed the perfect presentation. Pinks, reds, and even shades of purple would all be perfect Valentine’s Day wrapping, but would it be perfect Hare wrapping? Raiding the attic, Hatter found the glittery gold paper he used for Hare’s birthday. Much better. Though, once he was done, he added a white ribbon with pink hearts running down its middle to around each parcel and topped them each with a complex bow. There, a perfect Hare Valentine.

 

He finished the night before the big day and could hardly sleep with anticipation creeping into his mind. Eventually, as he was quite a heavy sleeper, he fell into a deep, restful, sleep.

 

Now, sitting at the tea table feeling like a balloon stuffed into a suitcase. One minute until Hare would come around the corner.

 

“Hello Hatter!” Hare came into view. And Hatter’s heart near stopped. They both agreed to wear something fancier, add a sense of occasion to the day. Hare, in a powder blue suit jacket with a ruffled button up shirt and pink bow tie, matching pants, and flower in his button hole, was one of the most handsome things he’d ever seen.

 

“You look amazing!” Hatter got up and opened the gate door for his pal.

 

“Awe, thanks,” Hare looked away, bashful, before standing on his toes and planting a kiss onto his boyfriend’s cheek. Hare was still trying to get used to random acts of affection of a romantic nature and Hatter appreciated every little one.

“Of course,” he gestured towards the table, placing a hand on Hare’s lower back as he gently led him towards his chair before pulling it out for him. Hare giggled at the attention.

 

“You look great too.” Hare said as he settled into his seat, openly appreciating Hatter’s outfit and how good it looked on him. The fabric was sleek and shining under the light. A smooth black. Cut similarly to his normal suit but no mutton sleeves and big gold buttons done up so that, if he were wearing a waist coat, one couldn’t see it. Delicate lace cuffs poked out from the sleeves of the jacket and around his neck was a brilliant red bow tie, and his top hat was a match black with red band.

 

Hatter preened under Hare’s appreciation, “thank you,” he resumed his seat at the head of the table, right next to Hare.

 

“Please, help yourself. I baked some of your favorite jelly bean cookies.”

 

There weren’t just the jelly bean cookies either. Chocolate chip, sugar, macaroons, tarts, little cupcakes of various flavors, and even a half dozen of glazed donuts, all baked late last night.

 

“Well, now I just feel bad. All I did was buy this pudding pie for us to split,” Hare lifted up a bag that Hatter, in light of how handsome Hare looked, hadn’t noticed.

 

“Hare, that’s perfectly fine,” he put an hand on his boyfriend’s arm, “I love pudding pie.” He took the bag, pulled out the pie and placed it on the table (after shoving some of the other things out of the way) giving it a place of prominence between them before slicing for himself a large piece.

 

Hare, feeling better about his lack of preparation, poured himself a cup of tea, noticing that the sugar cubes were shaped like hearts and the cups were various shades of red, pink, and white. Not even for Mirthdays or Christmas, did Hatter do this much work and, watching Hatter shove in a big mouthful of the pie he brought, Hare couldn’t help feel a warmth inside his chest. He really was a great friend, a great boyfriend.

 

  
“So,” Hatter said after wiping his mouth, “we’re a couple now right?”

 

Hare tilted his head, “y…yes?”

 

“That means, Valentine’s Day is more for _us_ now?”

 

“I thought so, that’s why we dressed up and everything.”

 

“How true that is,” Hatter nodded sagely before promptly slipping down under the table. Hare went to follow but jumped as Hatter popped right back up. A big, beautiful box in shiny yellow paper in his hands.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Your present,” Hatter answered, barely having to stretch his long arms and body so to place the parcel in his friend’s lap. “I was trying to hold off, let you get settled and we have eaten a little first, but how could I wait? You looking as cute as you do and me here just waiting since wrapping it last night? I’m surprised I waited this long to be honest.”

“Oh Hatter, thank you. This is all so much.” Hare, dabbed his eyes with the end of his sleeve and reached down to a previously unnoticed bag.  “I’ve got something for you too!” and reached enough to place it in front of Hatter (nearly spilling his cup of tea).

 

Hatter beamed, snagging the bag, already tearing into it. If there was one thing Hatter was, it was undeniably curious and packages, his or others, always piqued his interest to the point where all he wanted to do was open them. This is why at his birthdays most of the Wonderlandians wouldn’t keep his gifts on the table but wait until after cake to present them one at a time.

 

Hare, on the other hand, was taking his time. For him, the anticipation is what made the surprise more worth it and so first the ribbon was pulled, then he found the corner where the tape was and carefully pulled it up, went to the other side to do the same and then he heard Hatter gasp and looked up.

 

“Oh Hare! Where? How? Oh, I love it!”

 

In Hatter’s hands, protected by plastic, was a book. Hatter had a whole trunk of comic books. Anthologies, mini-series, whole arcs, all wonderful old books from his younger days. They’d spent a long time just sitting in Hatter’s attic reading the books together until they fell asleep. Despite Hatter’s diminished enthusiasm for superheroes, after he’d become one and eventually gave it up due to the stress, there was still affection for the genre.

 

Specifically for Atomic Rabbit. He was missing a special edition trade paperback that combined five comics into one that contained cross overs with Tippy Turtle and Dangerous Dog that was only released for a limited time. When that came out, Hatter had done as many chores as he could to earn the money to get it. By the time he had the funds, the book was out of stock and now it was near impossible to find. That is…

 

“I found it in a library sale and have been holding onto it for a while. It was going to be your birthday gift but given the change in our relationship and the holiday is open to everyone now,” he glanced down at his lap before looking at Hatter through his lashes, “I thought it would be perfect for now.”

 

“How true that is!”

 

Hare barely had time to blink before Hatter was practically in his lap, lips pressed against his. Usually, Hare was the one to jump into Hatter’s arms, climb into his lap, given their height difference. There was something heart fluttering about having the taller man curl around him like he was doing, pressing him down into the chair as he deepened the kiss, and just as Hare went to return it, Hatter was back in his seat. The only indication anything happening was Hare’s shaky breath and Hatter’s bruised lips.

 

Hare, gave a cough and managed, “H…happy Valentine’s Day.”

 

In reply Hatter winked, further flustering his friend, before pointing at Hare’s gift, “now you! Tear it open!”

 

“Patience,” Hare admonished before resuming the careful unwrapping of his parcel. Truthfully, it was just adorable to watch Hatter’s lips scrunch up as he tried not to nag.

 

Once the tape was off the corners, bow to the side, Hare unfurled the paper, revealing the box beneath. Thankfully not taped as well, Hatter looked positively ready to explode.

Lifting all the flaps, Hare finally got to the goodies contained.

 

First, a canister of his favorite chocolate/coffee mixed blend. Second, a pack of three homemade socks all to perfect length and shape of Hare’s foot all with different designs like hearts, plants, and tea cups (Hatter pointed out that Hare had been complaining about the elastics on several of his favorite pairs going slack so he made new ones with a tighter band that would last him a while). Third, a newer edition of Hare’s book of tricks (Hatter truly believed that Hare could and should be a magician). Fourth, and at the bottom, a pair of tickets to “Shakepaw’s Stories in the Park” for Saturday.

 

All the gifts, so carefully curb to _him_ , so meaningful.

 

“Hatter, this is all too much! I only got you the book.”

 

“A very rare and expensive book Hare,” Hatter chided, “Besides, nothing is too much for my boyfriend!”

 

Hare, slower than Hatter had, rose from his seat and plopped into Hatter’s lap, arms around his neck.

 

“This is the best Valentine’s Day ever,” he whispered against Hatter’s lips, before pressing them with his own. When he pulled away, Hatter flung an arm around his back and replied,

 

“How true that is.”

 

They spent the rest of the day simply enjoying each other’s company, reading Atomic Rabbit and practicing new tricks, with a few more kisses thrown in for good measure.


End file.
